1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to coupons and promotions and more specifically to policy-based electronic monitoring of purchases to apply coupons without a physical coupon, gift certificate, or coupon card used at a point of sale. Another aspect of this disclosure provides a merchant portal to manage coupons, promotions, gift cards or other offers associated with that merchant. Yet another aspect relates to enhancing a gift for a recipient if the recipient engages in an interaction with a device to yield a gift having a portion from a giver and a portion from the merchant.
2. Introduction
A problem exists where consumers have an opportunity to buy a coupon or book of coupons and then have to carry the coupon or book to the store for redemption. This is an approach often used locally for fundraisers. For example, schools may sell to parents for $20 a coupon book that includes 40 different coupons, gift certificates, or other promotional offers for neighborhood stores. Such coupons might be for $10 off on a $50 purchase or more at the local Sears or a 15% discount at Bob's Audio/Video Emporium. Often the stores having coupons in such coupon books are local mom and pop stores. Users pay for the coupon book and then go from store to store and tear out the coupon for that particular store when they shop. Then the store employee has to process the coupon by providing the discount at the point of sale. This process involves printing the coupons, processing the sale, and processing the coupons themselves. Further, users who purchase these coupon books may forget to bring them along when shopping at the merchants, or may forget which coupons have been used, or may even forget about the coupon book altogether. Thus, even when a user has purchased the coupon book, and frequently shops at merchants promoted in the coupon book, many barriers hinder the redemption or application of these coupons.
Current approaches do not solve the fundamental problem of the recipient or other person desiring to apply a coupon forgetting to use the coupon, forgetting which coupons are available, or losing the coupon book.